WESTFIELD, Mass. – Western Connecticut State converted a pair of penalty kick opportunities to post a 2-0 win over Westfield State University in a non-conference men's soccer match at Alumni Field on Monday evening.
Franz Muhaj (Bridgeport, Conn./Fairfield Wheeler HS) netted the first PK for the WestConn just 5:39 into the match, as the Colonials served a long ball forward for Muhaj, and he was tripped up by Owls' goalkeeper Emilio Mancuso (Ludlow, Mass.) as he came out to challenge on the play. Muhaj slotted the ball just inside the left post on the kick for a 1-0 lead.
Early in the second half, the Colonials' Matt Restrepo (Bridgeport, Conn./Trumbull) was fouled from behind at the very left edge of the penalty area. Restrepo took the penalty kick himself and beat Owls' goalkeeper Mancuso to the left post with a low shot for a 2-1 lead in the 56th minute of play.
Western Connecticut improves to 5-1 on the season, while Westfield is now 2-3.
The Colonials held a 23-6 edge in total shots and an 12-3 margin on shots on goal. The Colonials earned nine corner kicks to Westfield's three.
Westfield's defensive corps withstood the offensive barrage outside of the two kicks. Mancuso finished with 10 saves for the Owls, including an impressive sequence midway through the second half where he came up with three successive stops from near point-blank range.
Daniel Szabo (Trumbull, Conn.) made three saves in goal for Western Connecticut.
Westfield State will be back in action this Saturday, September 18 as they kick off Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference play with a match at Framingham State at 4:00 p.m.
Western Connecticut will next face John Jay College on Wednesday.